Purpose: This Council is a gathering of chosen leaders of this parish who share their insights and support and offer themselves in consultation with the pastor to discern how our parish can best fulfill our mission.
Authority: This Council operates within the guidelines of the Diocese of Grand Rapids on Pastoral Councils. It offers to our pastor its collective insights and approaches on the various issues that face the parish. The Council is consultative in its function and consensus building in its style. The pastor presides over the Council in his role as the one primarily responsible for the present and future good of the parish.
Role: The Council is the visioning and planning body for the pastoral and spiritual concerns of the parish. The Council strives to identify the needs of the parish, reflects upon those needs, makes recommendations as to how they can be met, and evaluates the ministerial efforts of the parish, in collaboration with parish staff.
Finance Council
Purpose: This Council is a community of chosen leaders that shares its wisdom and offers its consultation to the pastor. Through prayer and study, they discern how the parish can best meet the financial and material needs of the parish community.
Authority: This Council is a consultative body. It uses a consensus process of deliberation. The fruits of this shared wisdom and discernment are recommended to the pastor who presides over the Council and whose responsibility for the parish is respected. The council operates in accord with the guidelines of Grand Rapids governing Finance Councils.
Role: The Council is the advise the pastor on financial matters and the administration of parish property, help int he preparation of the general parish budget, provide the necessary annual reports, review the care and maintenance of parish property and buildings, develop long range planning for operational and capital needs, and help in encouraging parish stewardship.
If you would like to learn more about these councils,
please talk to the Pastor.